These sectaries are followers of Musaylima. The
people of Islam, “the true faith,” qualify Musay­lima
as “the Liar.”*
These sectaries call them­selves
also Rahmáníah; as they gave to Musaylima the
title of Rihm, “commiserator;” they assert, that the
words: Bismilla hírrehma nirrehím, “in the name of
the bountiful and merciful God,” relate to him,—
that is: a God is the merciful Musaylima. Muham­med
Kulí, the man so named, contracted friendship
with the author of this work in the year of the Hejira
1053 (A. D. 1643) at the holy sepulchre.*
After
some friendly intercourse, he said: “To a true believer,
it is necessary to acknowledge Musaylima as
the bringer of the true intelligence and a prophet;
and if one does not so, his faith is not the true.”
For a confirmation of this assertion, he adduced as
evidence some verses of the Koran, and said: “Musaylima
was in the divine mission a partner of the
dignity of the prophetic asylum, Muhammed, in
the same manner as Harun was with Moses.”
He further maintained: “Two prophets are required
as being witnesses, and evidence wants two per­sons,
and if there be more, so much the better.”
He then highly extolled his virtues and miracles,
such as his calling the moon until she came down
and before the eyes of his companions sat down on
his lap;*
as his going to dry trees, and praying so,
that they all became green; as having, when a new-born
child, given testimony of his prophetic gift, so
that a class of noble persons professed their faith in
his divine mission. That man besides said, that the
Koran is Muhammed's miracle, by which he bound
the tongue of emulation to all the eloquent men of
Arabia; and in like manner the Almighty God sent to
Musaylima a book, which they call the first Fárúk,
“separator;” this also became a binder of tongues
to the eloquent; and no man, except Muhammed
and Musaylima, is capable of understanding these two
books, the reading of which affords salvation in this
and in the other world; but to expound them is a
great crime. The Almighty God bestowed upon
Musaylima the favor of another necessary and vener­able
book, entitled “the second Fárúk,” to the com­mands
of which it is indispensable to conform our
actions. What Muhammed had revealed is all
truth, and Musaylima, too, chose his way in that
direction; if some precepts of the latter and his
celestial book are contrary to the statements of Muhammed,
it is because Musaylima survived Muham­med*
(upon whom be peace!), and cancelled some
of them by the command of God, as in like manner,
during Muhammed's life, some of his precepts have
been obliterated. The man quoted from the heavenly
book of Musaylima the following words:
“Adopt the belief (O men!) that our God is the God
of the world, and know, that he is the Creator of
the universe and of its inhabitants; that he is
above the creatures, none of whom is like him;
say not, that he has no body; for it may be that
he has a body, although not one like a body of his
creatures: hand, eye, and ear of God are men­tioned
in the Furkán*
which came from Muham­med;
and what is stated in the first Fárúk, which
is the book of Musaylima, is all truth; but the
hand, the eye, and the ear of God are not like the
hand and foot, and eye and ear of the creatures.
Thus faith is required for an intercourse with God,
and contemplation of the Creator; yet, whatever
was found existing can be seen, but the vision of
the eye, and the want of it, ought not to be taken
in a confined sense, as faith is to be entertained
that God shows himself to his servants in whatever
manner he wills.” The man further proceeded
to say: “Avoid discussions about antiquity, tra­dition,
and duration, and the evanescence or destruction
of the world, because the world is the
creation of God, and as to the last judgment and
resurrection after death, attach your faith to them,
and be confident that you shall be raised to life,
and in that fix your thoughts, that it will be with
the same or another body, in this or in another
house, to heaven or to hell, to beatitude and repose,
to recompense or punishment; attach your
faith to this, and avoid diving too deep into it,
whether it will be in this or in another habitation;
believe in the angels of God, but say not that they
have wings and feathers, or that, although this
form be not essential to them, they nevertheless
show themselves in this form, and know that good
and bad, fine and ugly, are existing; but do not
say, that this is good and that bad; for that which
you call bad may be good, and inversely: but
whatever is commanded, that do.” The man
proceeded to say: “In the time of Muhammed no
Kiblah was fixed: men turned their faces some­times
towards Jerusalem, sometimes towards the
Kâbah of Mecca, and sometimes towards any
other place. After Muhammed, his companions
established by force that Kâbah should be the
Kiblah. After Muhammed it was ordered by Musaylima,
that turning the face towards the great
altar, or any determined object, is impiety, and a
sign of infidelity, because as no figure of whatever
likeness from among living beings ought to be
made a Kiblah, why should it be permitted to
make a Kiblah of a house? Further, at the time
of prayer, one may turn his face to whatever side
he chooses, provided it be with this intention:
I address myself to thee, who hath neither side nor
figure.” At the three daily prayers which Musay­lima
has prescribed, the worshipper turns his face to
no particular side; so if he turned himself at midday-prayer
to the east, before sunset he prays towards
the west; never towards a fixed place, nor to a fixed
house, because this is infidelity. These sectaries
do not call the Kâbah “the house of God,” as the
Almighty God has no house, otherwise he would
have a body. They do not use the prayers of the
Sunnites, as prayer with them is that which God
has prescribed, and not that which the prophet
likes. When they feel a desire to worship God,
they read the divine words, and then reassume their
work; but in their prayer, they never pronounce
the name of the prophet; because it is contrary to
sound doctrine to mix the veneration of a creature
with the service of God, and in the prayer nothing
comes upon their tongue but the word of God, not
even the sayings of the prophet. Moreover, this
sect prays three times a day; for, of the five prayers
ordered by Muhammed, Musaylima, by God's com­mand,
dispensed with the evening and morning
prayer to Saháh,*his wife, who was a prophetess,
and sent to the people as the reward of an excel­lent
genius: this was one of the suitable favors of
the Lord to Musaylima, who himself was a prophet,
and his mate, also a prophetess.

As to what is said, that God commanded Iblis to
adore Adam, and that, because he disobeyed, Iblis
was expelled from the celestial court*
—this tale is
impious; because God does not command prostra­tion
before another object, nor induce any body to
undue worship, as he did not create Iblis for the
purpose of throwing men into error. In the second
Fárúk, it is stated that Iblis does not exist; the
Almighty God gave man free choice, and the faculty
of acting well or ill: wherefore he takes account of
his good and bad conduct.

This sect also maintains that, for marriage, neither
witnesses nor ceremonies are required; acquiescence
and agreement of two persons in a retired place are
sufficient. Further, although in the time of Muham­med
(the blessing and peace of God be upon him!)
it was permitted to ask in marriage the daughter of
relations, such as that of a paternal or maternal
uncle, yet, after Muhammed, it was prohibited; like­wise,
connexion between consanguineous individu­als,
which was wont of old, became forbidden in
Muhammed's time. By Musaylima came the com­mand
of God to take to wife the daughter of one,
between whom and the suitor not the least relation­ship
is known. To contract marriage with more
than one woman is not legal, but if any one wishes
more, he may take another on the condition of tem­porary
cohabitation.

To purify before prayer with sand or dust, when
water cannot be had, is not right.

When one possesses a slave, male or female, who
is an unbeliever, this slave, adopting the true faith,
becomes free without requiring the leave of his
master.

Whatever animal feeds upon filth which pollutes,
this to eat is not allowable. Domestic fowls are
not to be eaten, because they are winged pigs.

Musaylima forbade to keep the fast of Ramezan,
but instead of this he prescribed the fast at night,
in such a manner that, from sunset to sunrise, nothing
may be eat nor drunk; and also abstinence
from sexual intercourse.

Moreover, he abolished circumcision, for avoiding
resemblance with the Jews. He prohibited all
intoxicating liquors, such as those produced from
the palm-tree, opium, nuts, and the like.

Muhammed Kulî used to read much in the second
Fárúk, the book of Musaylima, which, having col­lected,
he recited, and said: this doctrine came to
me from my father and my ancestors, who enjoyed
the noble society of Musaylima. He said and enjoined
that, after the birth of a son, the first observance
is not to approach one's wife; the woman and
man ought to turn their mind to God, and if one
cannot effect it, he ought at least not to see his wife
but once a day. According to the second Fárúk, it
is allowable to have intercourse with another woman,
inasmuch as it is another sort of contract.
Muhammed Kuli said: “I saw Musaylima repeat­edly
in dreams, in which he disclosed what was
unknown to me, and said: When by orders of
Abu-bekr, Musaylima underwent the death of a
martyr, and other Khalifs were movers of this
event, therefore the Almighty God made them
suffer the curse of mankind; in the same manner
as he threw the Jews, on account of the murder
of Jesus, into error and perdition.

“The murderers of Musaylima are liars and vil­lains,
and so are the murderers of Sáíd Al Sha­hái
Hamzah.”*